Soomro
Regions with significant populations
Sindh (Pakistan), India
Languages
Sindhi, Saraiki
Related ethnic groups
Sindhis

Soomro (Sindhi: سومرو‎, Devanagari: सूमरो), Soomra, Sumrah or Sumra is a tribe having a local origin in Sindh. They are found in Sindh, parts of Punjab especially bordering Sindh, Balochistan province, and the Kutch district of the Indian state of Gujarat and also Rajasthan.[1][2][3]

The Soomro tribe established the Soomra dynasty in 1025 CE, which re-established native Sindhi rule over Sindh since the Arab conquests.[1] Many members of the Soomro caste were one of the first in Sindh to convert to Islam from Hinduism but initially continued to maintain several Hindu customs and traditions.[2][1]

Origins

Many authors have presented conflicting accounts of Soomro's origins. Boivin adds that the Sūmras are believed to be Soḍhā Rājpūts who embraced Islam through Ismāʿilī influence. After conversion, they adopted the name Sūmra.[4] Maulai Shedai, a local researcher, believes Soomra are Parmar Rajputs.[1][2] But Ahmad Hasan Dani claims "of this there is no definite proof" and adds that it is almost certain the tribe has local origins as the kings bore local names.[5] M. H. Panhwar, a Sindhologist, also rejects a Rajput origin and attributes its to James Todd but still accepts native origin.[6] Some writers have detailed about a subdivision in Jats with the name "Sumra".[7][8] But Historian André Wink has mentioned that the Soomras were not Jats.[9]

He has also explained that Soomras who were of local Sindhi origin and had been semi-independent rulers after the death of Mahmud of Ghazni were different to pastoral-nomadic Jats or Meds. As per him, rise of Soomras was one of the factor in movement of the Jats of lower Sindh towards north.[10] Ghulam Hussain and others argue that the Soomros and other native tribes indigenous to Sindh slowly began to 'Ashrafize' themselves by remaking their genealogies to further associate themselves with Syeds whom they possibly intermarried and acquired power through.[11][2]

According to Tarikh Waqa`i Rajisthan, Soomras were Parmar Rajputs.[2][12]

Pre-eminent Sindhi scholar Nabi Baksh Baloch tried to reconcile all different conflicting accounts of Soomra origin. He considered Soomras, a hybrid race that was mix of Sindhi-Arab blood, emerged after the Ummayad caliph Sulayman ibn Abd al-Malik’s decree asking Arab officers posted in Sindh to settle in the land permanently. Consequently they took Sindhi wives and subsequently married their daughters in Sindhi families.[2]

Hence, Dr. Baloch writes that:[2][13]

Soomras were descendents of these hybrid princes, whose ancestors, according to common legend, were either Arabs or their grand-sons on the mothers’ side

Clans

Asoo, Boja (Baja), Baghal, Babrani, Bhayani, Bhein, Bheinan, Bheiyani, Bhara, Bharpotra, Chhora, Chāki, Chhatani, Chhodawar, Dodai, Dodani, Dodepotra, Dhakkar, Dagha/Daga, Danoor, Detha, Dhakan, Dakan, Dakhan, Faras, Galahi, Gan, Gagnani, Gurchani, Hamir, Halepotro, Hamopotro, Heesbani, Hayatani, Hasnani, Holiani/Holani, Hamad, Issani, Inayatani, Jafrani, Jamrani, Jassani, Jothia, Jiya, Jiyepotra, Jakhri, Junejani, Kākar, Kachelo, Kalhia, Kandipotra, Khafif, Khafipotra, Khebta, Khunbhati, Khenera, Khairani, Kala, Khato, Lakhoria, Landar, Ladha, Mundra, Matu, Moja, Matupotra, Marzani, Muhammadpotro, Markan, Markanda, Markhand, Mastani, Mirnani, Mirani, Matoi, Nurungpotra, Nurungzada, Nangarpotra, Niroti, Porgar, Panjani, Qiyasani, Rattar, Rakan, Raknani, Rainani, Rangrez, Rehanpotra, Rawa, Rabu, Sakroi, Samthio, Sanund, Sabra, Shaikhjapotra, Sakriani, Sathian, Sathani, Samisa, Sapiya, Shaja, Tai, Taipotra, Usta/Osta, Umarpotra, Umrani, Wardali.[14]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "The Arab Conquest". International Journal of Dravidian Linguistics. 36 (1): 91. 2007. The Soomras are believed to be Parmar Rajputs found even today in Rajasthan, Saurashtra, Kutch and Sindh. The Cambridge History of India refers to the Soomras as "a Rajput dynasty the later members of which accepted Islam" (p. 54 ).
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Siddiqui, Habibullah. "The Soomras of Sindh: their origin, main characteristics and rule – an overview (general survey) (1025 – 1351 AD)" (PDF). Literary Conference on Soomra Period in Sindh.
  3. ^ Sen, Sailendra (2013). A Textbook of Medieval Indian History. Primus Books. p. 114. ISBN 978-9-38060-734-4.
  4. ^ Boivin, Michel (16 September 2021). "Indigenous People of Sindh". Brill's Encyclopedia of the Religions of the Indigenous People of South Asia Online. Brill. ..These episodes reflect the rivalry among different Rājpūt clans, especially after some converted to Islam. The Sūmras are among these, as they are said to be Soḍhā Rājpūts who converted to Islam under Ismāʿilī persuasion; after conversion, they changed their name from Soḍhā to Sūmra..
  5. ^ Dani, Ahmad Hasan (2007). History of Pakistan: Pakistan through ages. Sang-e Meel Publications. ISBN 978-969-35-2020-0. But as many kings of the dynasty bore local names, it is almost certain that the Soomras were of local origin. Sometimes they are connected with Paramara Rajputs, but of this there is no definite proof.
  6. ^ Panhwar, M.H.; Soomra National Council (Pakistan) (2003). An Illustrated Historical Atlas of Soomra Kingdom of Sindh: 1011-1351 AD. Soomra National Council, Pakistan. p. 26 (on pdf). Retrieved 2022-07-27. "Presence of Soomras in Kutch, Gujarat and Rajasthan in small numbers does not make them Rajputs either… All British period historians given in the table at end of this chapter have called Soomras as Rajputs under influence of Todd's writings. Actually they were local converted to Ismailism."
  7. ^ Khan, H.A.; Choonara, S. (2004). Re-Thinking Punjab: The Construction of Siraiki Identity. Research and Publication Centre (RPC), National College of Arts. p. 130. ISBN 978-969-8623-09-8. Retrieved 2022-07-27. Other important braches and sub-divisions of the Jat in the Siraiki area include Panhwar, Parihar, Chajra, Daha, Jhakkar, Joiya, Guraha, Bhatti, Massan, Bhutta, Sahu, Sial, Jangla, Thind, Samtia, Sehar, Sumra…
  8. ^ Bhatia, S. (1987). Social Change and Politics in Punjab, 1898-1910. Enkay Publishers. p. 24. ISBN 978-81-85148-13-7. Retrieved 2022-07-29. The Jats were divided into several tribes. In the Western plain (i.e., West of Lahore) excluding the salt range, and sub - montane tracts were to be found the Tahim, Butta, Langah, Sumra, Sipra and Hans
  9. ^ Wink, André (1991). Al-hind: The Making of the Indo-islamic World. BRILL. p. 159. ISBN 978-90-04-09249-5. The Sammas rose to great power in Sind at about 1351 A.D., displacing the Sumras, who were not Jats and had achieved control of Lower Sind shortly after the death of Mahmud of Ghazna.
  10. ^ Wink, André (2002). Al-Hind, the Making of the Indo-Islamic World: Early Medieval India and the Expansion of Islam 7Th-11th Centuries. BRILL. p. 166. ISBN 978-0-391-04173-8. In Lower Sind however we become dimly aware of the existence in the eighth and ninth centuries of a tribal people, the Sumras, who shortly after the death of Mahmud Ghaznavi became quasi-independent rulers throughout the Multan region, even when it remained nominally incorporated in the Ghaznavid and Ghurid dominion and subsequently in the Delhi Sultanate. The Sumras were a dynasty of local origin, later claiming to be Rajputs as well as Arabs, and are clearly distinguishable from the pastoral-nomadic Jats or Mids. In fact, it could very well be that next to the Baluchi immigration from the west, the rise of the Sumras was a factor in pushing the Jats of Lower Sind northward.
  11. ^ Hussain, Ghulam (2019-08-02). "Dalits are in India, not in Pakistan: Exploring the Discursive Bases of the Denial of Dalitness under the Ashrafia Hegemony". Journal of Asian and African Studies. SAGE Publications. 55 (1): 24. doi:10.1177/0021909619863455. ISSN 0021-9096. S2CID 201404746. Soomra, Samma and Kalhora indigenous castes (locally known as Sammat) were further ashrafized. After conversion to Islam they intermarried with local Arab landowners and thus had acquired great influence and power. By furnishing Tuhfa-tul-Kiram and Beglar Namah, the two books on the history, as the reference, they reconstructed their genealogies to have roots in Arabs and in association with the Sayeds. Hence, the Soomras claimed to be Sumerian Arabs; Sammas, the descendants of Jamshed Abbasi of Persia, and Kalhoras traced their descent to Abbasid Khalifas
  12. ^ Molai, Rahim Dad Khan. "Jannat Sindh - Sindhi Adabi Board Online Library (History)". www.sindhiadabiboard.org. Archived from the original on 2022-01-24. Retrieved 2023-01-10.
  13. ^ "Soomran Jo Daur - Sindhi Adabi Board Online Library (History)". www.sindhiadabiboard.org. Retrieved 2023-01-10.
  14. ^ Khair Mohammad Buriro Sewhani (2005). ذاتين جي انسائيڪلوپيڊيا (in Sindhi). p. 477.
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